


Superhuman

by runback2u



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe – Scientists, Alternate Universe – Superhuman, Artificial Intelligence, Blow Jobs, Explicit Sexual Content, Government Conspiracy, Heavy Angst, Human Augumentation, Human Experimentation, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Character Death, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2019-07-13
Packaged: 2020-06-27 14:03:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19792408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/runback2u/pseuds/runback2u
Summary: Jaehyun has dedicated his youth to a scientific miracle that merely haunts him in the present. Sworn to never let his skills and wit be exploited by higher ups again, he gets frequented by a mysterious government organization that insists on recruiting him for their project, all whilst remaining conspicuously cryptic about what it actually entails. It's not until an old friend prompts Jaehyun to have at least a look at what he's missing, that Jaehyun's life changes forever.





	Superhuman

_ I follow the coordinates and follow course _

_ No matter, this silver compass _

_ Will point to you _

  
  


Jaehyun could think of better things to have his perfectly uneventful Friday evening ruined by, rather than a lady in a pencil skirt ringing on his downstairs intercom. He really could. Particularly considering that his intercom hadn’t really seen much use over the years, apart from the occasional confused take-out delivery person, but Jaehyun wouldn’t start there. He wanted to know  _ how _ . How had a person so evidently not amongst his circle of now distant acquaintances, gotten a hold of his address and how was this person so absolutely certain he would give them the time of his day after they practically stalked him to his sheltered home; a highrise apartment in a more remote district of Seoul, if one could consider anywhere in Seoul remote, really. He figured he could only blame himself in the end.

But when the third time that week rolled around, Jaehyun sneaking a glance at the security camera monitor from downstairs only to discern the same stony face, he was pissed. Pissed and effectively ready to call the cops, only that he preferred to keep attention away from his area as it usually tended to be rather uneventful, quiet. He waited out for the ringing to stop, finding a distraction in the minutest of activities such as flipping through the same newspaper for the nth time that day. He could be hardheaded too, if they tried it.

An hour or so after they had vanished from his security monitor, he lastly dared venture out into the street to the nearby convenience store, like he had initially planned before the intrusion. He couldn’t help the paranoia gnawing at his insides, prompting him to whip his head back and forth constantly like some sort of wanted enemy of the state, scanning the area with a narrowed gaze. He hated the feeling of being watched, and particularly hated not knowing who he was dealing with, subject to the blind faith that nothing would come out of his sheer ignorance towards their stubborn attempts.

  
The convenience store door pushed open with a familiar bright chime, and already unusually wary Jaehyun stilled when he spotted an unfamiliar face by the cash register, dressed in the blue employee vest, his heartbeat momentarily picking up. What if they recognized him? He wasn’t that known of a face by any means, but chances were that if the new regular who replaced the usual, short-banged teenager who worked there was a student in a field of sciences, there was no going around having at least seen his face somewhere in passing. That thought alone made Jaehyun immediately pull his collar towards his cheeks, scooting amidst the aisles. He grabbed what he came for, an array of cup noodles and some snacks before dropping the items on the cashier’s table, eyes shifting uncomfortably whilst directed to the tiled flooring, avoiding contact. The new regular was a girl, definitely around a university student’s age, and Jaehyun hemmed awkwardly before handing her the amount she asked for in cash.

“Wait– have I seen your face before?”

Jaehyun’s heart came to a halt in his throat and he quickly scrambled to collect his items, trying to balance them somehow in a two arm hold. He shook his head.

“No I’m sure,” She looked smug, confident. Jaehyun’s eyes shifted, a frown digging a crease between his brows as he vainly attempted to remain unsuspicious looking.

“Aren’t you an idol?”

She giggled, and Jaehyun deflated. His lips grew into a tight line.

“No.”

He left the store. Paranoia long forgotten now, he speed-walked towards his apartment complex breathing fumes, merely eager to return to the comfort of his own four walls. Struggling to fish the keys from his pocket with all the items in his clutch, he suddenly took note of a whirring sound. He scanned the dark parking lot in front of his building.

A car parked at the end of the lot, headlights on and engine quietly rumbling in its spot.

His heartbeat picked up again. Immediately getting fire under his ass, Jaehyun dropped his groceries and pushed the key inside the lock, holding the building door open with his foot as he quickly scrambled to pick up all the items from the awkward position. Just as he could perceive the sound of car doors being slammed shut, he slipped inside and shoved his back against the gate till he heard the lock click back into place, the sound of rapidly approaching footfalls steadily subsiding until it quieted down entirely. 

Jaehyun exhaled.

“Creepy  _ fuckers _ .”

He heaved a frustrated groan, willing himself to move after another minute or so. 

Jaehyun liked to think of himself as a simple, low-maintenance individual. Beyond the simple comforts in life there wasn’t much that he craved, if anything at all, and it had been like this for as long as he remembered. Surely one might say he could talk, living in a luxury high-rise apartment with broad, ceiling high windows that overlooked the city from afar, a hard earned fund besides a not-too-shabby background and a respectable amount of framed degrees dusting away in some unbeknownst corner of his old student apartment that he had kept but abandoned almost two years ago. Jaehyun didn’t have it  _ hard _ , by no means. At least not financially. What he may retort however, was that he had already dedicated a vast amount of his precious youth to serving what one might call a  _ greater purpose _ , even when Jaehyun liked to roll his eyes at the term in present days. A greater purpose would imply that the work he had left behind would benefit the planet somehow, the community or some already filthily rich corporate business folks who didn’t truly know what it meant to hold that sort of responsibility. But Jaehyun’s grandest body of work had been deprived of all that, of the opportunity for greater purpose, as opposed to most accomplishments throughout his career. It was a deliberate decision. Along with the fact that he also decided not to let himself succumb to the external pressure to give his life the idea of purpose anymore, because really, what purpose would he be serving if he supplied the wrong people with power. Exactly.

No, Jaehyun lived happily in seclusion. Lived content, knowing he wasn’t contributing to some international power struggle about who had the biggest, newest and shiniest toys, seeing as he had already done enough damage as is, probably. At least that’s what he told himself ever so often.

The recent series of unexpected events didn’t stop however, when on one Tuesday morning Jaehyun recognized a doe-eyed face all too familiar yet unanticipated, on his security camera monitor.

“Johnny?”

Jaehyun greeted the older with a grimace when the elevator doors unveiled whose tall frame and Jaehyun half stood in the hallway to assure himself he hadn’t been mistaken. Unsurprisingly, the man had barely changed, the casual sweatshirt and sneakers attire reminding him of their days in college, strands of his raven hair loosely hanging over his vision in that lazy, effortless, nonetheless boyishly handsome manner. A box from Dunkin Donuts was balanced on his left arm and a toothy smile stretched over his features.

“Long time no see,” He said, Jaehyun still in disbelief.

“What are you doing here?”

“That’s how you greet an old friend?”

Jaehyun snorted, but didn’t refuse when Johnny gave him a careful squeeze, the box still in his arm. He stepped aside to let the man enter, the look on whose face nothing short of amazement and again, Jaehyun couldn’t help thinking of how much it reminded him of their time as students. The entrance area of his apartment was broad, color palette bright like the rest and merged into the living room which was illuminated with light, virtue of the early morning sun that flooded through the glass panes that made up the entire east side of the premises. It was those that Johnny was walking towards, a light bounce in his step and Jaehyun loosely trailed behind with a slight wave of unease coursing through him at the empty boxes of ramen and junk food littered about in plain sight.

“You really treated yourself with that last paycheck, huh,” The older turned around, eyes wide, and Jaehyun figured his concern in that regard was misplaced.

“Yeah hah,” He paused. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Johnny’s brows perked up in puzzlement.

“Why are you here?”

“Visiting an old friend, what’s it look like!” The enthusiasm in Johnny’s voice was characteristic for the man, but Jaehyun thought himself to know better than that somehow. Times like these didn’t account for coincidences.

“Any occasion?”

“Just breakfast and catching up,” He lifted the lid to the box of donuts. “I reckon you haven’t had any yet?”

Considering it was 7 a.m. and Jaehyun usually didn’t get up before noon, no, he hadn’t had breakfast yet, and those donuts looked exceptional. Turning towards the kitchen, he nodded his head for Johnny to follow him.

“Coffee?”

“Yes please.” He replied, again with that enthusiasm that Jaehyun honestly considered way inappropriate for the hour.

He opened one of the high cabinets to discern that there were no more mugs left inside, sullenly turning towards the pile inside his sink before resorting to fishing out two paper cups from the cabinet beneath the sink and putting one of them beneath the automatic coffee maker. Jaehyun wasn’t proud of the condition his place was in, but to be fair towards himself, he didn’t exactly expect guests.

“Bad for the environment,” Johnny annotated with a smile while accepting the steaming cup, and Jaehyun snorted.

“We already ruined it beyond saving anyway.”

Johnny didn’t retort to that.

“So why are you here?”

“How many times are you going to ask that, you’re too suspicious.”

“You show up in front of my door at 7 o’clock in the morning after years of no contact and I’m supposed to think that’s not suspicious?”

There was no bite in his tone, but he couldn’t help the incredulous mien playing on his features. Johnny simply laughed at that, a loud, Johnny-esque laugh, all belly and teeth and Jaehyun thought how it was nice that some things didn’t change. Jaehyun absentmindedly took a sip of his coffee, hissing out a curse after it burned his tongue. The older looked at him fondly.

“You still look like you did in college,” He then said, and Jaehyun rolled his eyes despite having thought the exact same thing about Johnny upon seeing him earlier. The older man chuckled. “You also still act the same. Maybe a little bit more bitter and paranoid.”

Jaehyun didn’t really know how to respond to that, so he simply resorted to quietly continuing to attempt sipping his coffee, figuring he might just become more responsive once he had ingested his daily dose of caffeine. However he still kept watching Johnny closely as if expecting him to whip out some grand scheme that he had all along, unease bubbling in Jaehyun’s stomach while his friend idly stirred his cup of coffee.

Maybe Johnny was right, in part that was. Although, as of late Jaehyun had found it increasingly hard to recognize his old self with how isolated he had become, memories of their years as a team starkly contrasting with his current lifestyle. They used to be quite the unstoppable force, together. Jaehyun being the one out of the two with an academic major in cognitive science while Johnny was fluent in the more hands on technical aspects, their expertise combined having led to grand achievements and a considerable amount of credibility within the scientific community. Their shared brainchild was the SI, a form of artificial intelligence that was the closest yet to mimicking human emotions. Its success story was what eventually funded Jaehyun’s solo career, that reached the stars before he decided to shoot it from the sky. A  _ loss to the community _ , they called it. A shame, wasted talent, bound to greatness and yet so short-lived in its nature. Jaehyun couldn’t find it in him to be stirred by any of it. Yet that being said, he was aware that he probably wouldn’t be standing in this very apartment if it wasn’t for Johnny, and while his gratitude was practically limitless, he wasn’t sure whether that granted simply ignoring the air of mystery that shrouded the other.

Johnny had respected Jaehyun’s resignation from the International Association for the Advancement of Science, not asking many questions at the time and promising to uphold Jaehyun’s request for distance. Giving him his new address was merely an act of courtesy in reflection of their year long friendship. He was almost sure Johnny would never cross any boundaries that he knew not to cross.  _ Almost _ .

“Have you been working at all?”

A mental  _ Ah-hah! _ rang in Jaehyun’s head before he put down his cup.

“No.”

“I saw your notes sprawled out.”

Jaehyun’s eyes narrowed and his spine erected just the slightest, and oh, he was growing defensive.

“Johnny–”

“I know you said–”

“Why are you here?”

Jaehyun knew he was talking over him, but the feeling of betrayal rapidly rising from the pit of his stomach was tinting his tone with a vitriolic undercurrent, he couldn’t help it. Something in Johnny’s expression faltered. He looked apologetic.

“Jaehyun–”

“Who sent you?”

That made Johnny still, and Jaehyun knew he hit a target. It struck him.

“Is it those freaks who have been pestering me since last week? Are you here because of them?”

No reply. Jaehyun’s jaw clenched until his teeth started hurting from the strain and he exhaled exasperatedly, unsure how to proceed. It was one thing to tell his friend he was disappointed, mad, furious, but it was an entirely different story to send him out the door. Jaehyun pondered, giving Johnny an opportunity to speak up again.

“I’m not here because of them,” He started, and Jaehyun could hear the compunction in his voice. “I’m here because I believe in something for the first in a long time and I was hoping you’d join me.”

“Johnny, you know I don’t–”

“I know! Trust me I know you said you’re over it, what happened with your brother hit you hard but–”

“Don’t drag my brother into this.” Jaehyun’s voice was hard, harder than before, and it made Johnny pause momentarily before continuing.

“But hear me out. If not for our friendship then for those times we used to dream about this sort of thing. When there was nothing more thrilling than– than the thirst for discovery, enlightenment...you know?”

“Yes. We dreamed about this.  _ Years ago _ . We’re not college students anymore, Johnny. Things are different now and I told you I’m out of it, for good. You told me you understood and...and I believed you.”

Jaehyun thought how it was way too early for a discussion of this nature.

“I did! I understood, really, but, Jaehyun, this is different. Huge! Bigger than the association, bigger than politics, bigger than,” He gestured wildly with his hands. “Than you know, them– them business people you don’t like, bigger than– than  _ us _ , Jaehyun!”

Jaehyun huffed out.

“You sound like a walking ad.”

“You sound like a pessimist.”

Something within Jaehyun flared up at that, the need for morning coffee long forgotten.

“I’m not pessimistic, I’m just fucking realistic, John! Look up the difference, pretty fucking glaring.”

“Look,” He took a pause in which he inhaled slowly, as if to recharge his patience. He had always been good at that. Patient angel John Seo and his even-tempered nature which had always contrasted particularly next to Jaehyun. “I don’t want to fight you, Jae. I wouldn’t have come here if it’s not worth the shot of getting you to listen. All I’m asking is for you to have a look at it. Just– just a  _ look _ . See what I mean, look what it is and if you don’t like it, fine, I’ll leave you be. I won’t ever come by again, I won’t call you, you can go back to living this– whatever it is. But I’m telling you, Jaehyun. You’re never going to see anything like it. I wouldn’t try if I didn’t know you, deep down.”

What Jaehyun hated to admit, was that in some deserted, unsated nook of his mind, Johnny was right. He was curious. He knew it to be a part of him that lingered from the past, the one that was young, maybe a bit naïve, and so incredibly thirsty for knowledge that it physically made his mouth go dry just thinking about it. It was a part that still had that raw  _ eagerness  _ to leave his mark in the world and he was aware that Johnny was catering towards it, wittingly, and probably being one of the few people who knew this part of Jaehyun to exist in the first place. It was unfair, so  _ so _ unfair, but so effective that Jaehyun was tempted to resist even more just for the sake of it. As little as that might hold up in the long run.

“I don’t know…” Jaehyun massaged his temples, the creases of his frown still deeply-seated. “This doesn’t exactly fit into my current schedule.”

“You mean the schedule that consists of you watching cartoons on your couch day in day out while eating instant ramen breakfast, lunch and dinner?”

Jaehyun’s frown deepened, seeing as this was a very,  _ very _ personal attack, even if Johnny hadn’t intended it to be.

“Jaehyun, I know you. And this– this life, this–” His eyes scanned the room. “This isn’t you. Minhyung wouldn’t have wanted you to spend the rest of your life like this. And I know you said this isn’t about him, but it matters. I need you to get out there again, he needs you to–”

“Stop saying his name,” Jaehyun said, not as sternly as at the first mention, but more defeated this time around.

“I’m– I’m sorry, Jae. I..I need you to know that I’m just trying to look out for you. I know what you’re capable of, but I also know this isn’t– this isn’t healthy.”

Shooting the older a brief glare, Jaehyun pondered momentarily.

Almost as if he knew exactly what was going through Jaehyun’s mind, Johnny piped in. “Just– just don’t overthink this for a single second and, and let this be a leap of faith. They offer you a tour, Jae. A personalized tour. All you have to do is take a look around and decide for yourself, no tricks, just– this is  _ your _ gig, Jaehyun, and they know. They know all about how great you are. If the answer is still no after you know what it is then, I promise you, I won’t contact you again.”

He didn’t want the other to think that he wasn’t happy to see him, the last part stirring something within Jaehyun’s chest. Johnny had never done him wrong before, and to consider this a groundless risk on the older’s part wouldn’t be wise, Jaehyun knew that. While his visit was sort of twisted, even fucked up in its intent in a way, Jaehyun knew without having to think that Johnny meant well. A leap of faith was easier said than done, however. Having spent years hammering into his head that there would be no way to conjure him back into a lab, having convinced the people he once knew that he was out of it for good. Going back on his word wouldn’t be easy. Neither for his credibility nor for his pride.

But if he was to disregard what Johnny was telling him, the  _ what ifs _ would ring in his mind for the rest of his nights and knowing himself, his present  _ and _ past self, and he wasn’t sure which was harder to bear.

“So you’re saying this thing is worth putting our friendship on the line?” He knew this question to be harsh, the fact that his friend replied without a single beat passing taking him by surprise all the more.

“Yeah.”

  
  
  
  


Jaehyun’s resistance towards the prospect of participating in whatever this was didn’t falter. And yet, that didn’t stop him from caving. The two, resisting and yielding, weren’t exclusive from one another as it turned out. It was nerve-wracking if anything, mayhaps triggered an internal conflict that could merely end in absolute havoc, but withdrawing his approval appeared to be impossible regardless as he was soon after flooded with a stream of over-the-phone instructions on what he was to bring along and what he was to desist doing for the next few days leading up to his special little private tour. Frankly, it made him want to stand aloof all the more. But he had made a promise.

The bedsheets stuck to his skin and he tossed around as if that’d quell the million thoughts entering his head by the second, eyes refusing to remain shut. 

They’d pick him up at 6 a.m. they said. Jaehyun glanced at the digital clock on his bedside table, reading 2:24 a.m. Marvelous. He pushed out a sigh. 

“Minhyung?”

No response, but a faint light started flickering in the corner of his dark room. He tried again. 

“Minhyung, are you there?”

Finally, a familiar whir, the cool light growing more consistent and its brightness increasing by the slightest. Jaehyun lifted his head and squinted against it, impatient.

“Hey!”

“Stop being so impatient, jeez.”

The whirring came to a stop. Jaehyun huffed out, head plopping back into his pillow.

“I can’t sleep.”

“Nervous?”

“No.”

He rolled to his side so as to face the light, the orb-like structure situated in its habitual spot on the white designer desk top that had rarely seen a day of work. A ring of illumination surrounded the object, its shape round, roughly the size of an over dimensional skull, merely flatter, bigger, and hints of what looked like the flicker of light blue impulses running along its corpus in vein-like structures. 

It’d look intimidating to anyone who didn’t know what they were looking at. To Jaehyun it was the most familiar, trusted piece of tangibility in the whole world.

“I can’t believe Johnny sold out his soul.”

“Do you think it’ll be worth it? Like, I mean he wouldn’t do it for nothing, right?”

Jaehyun pondered.

“You’re right.”

“Johnny hasn’t changed.”

“He hasn’t.”

“Kinda nice.”

He smiled. “Yeah.”

A momentary silence befell them, and for an instant Jaehyun thought maybe he could already fall asleep like that. 

“Hyung, are you...are you going to be away for long?”

Jaehyun stared at it– stared at  _ him _ .

“If I’m going I’ll come back to get you. Don’t worry.”

“Will it be long?”

He paused. “I don’t know.”

Nothing came after that, and Jaehyun listened in on the quiet static that filled the room. 

“It’ll be soon,” He then said, reassuring. “You won’t even notice I’m gone.”

“Okay.”

“Goodnight, Minhyung.”

“Goodnight, hyung.”

The whirring steadily died down and so did the light, the room falling into utter darkness once more and Jaehyun turned on his back, eyelids steadily growing heavier.  _ You won’t even notice I’m gone _ . He knew that statement to be meaningless, and yet he couldn’t help put so much gravity to it that it made him want to get tomorrow over with as soon as possible. Minhyung was dependent on him, yet Jaehyun wasn’t on him. It was unfair, and Jaehyun would do whatever it took to keep the scale at least somewhat even. 

He owed him that much. 

Jaehyun drifted to sleep with that reminder plastered all over his conscience. 

  
  
  
  


He should’ve figured that less than three hours were short of a proper dosage of sleep, but he wasn’t exactly to blame either. The car which he found himself in smelled of new leather, an uncomfortable stench, and the gravel beneath the wheels jolted his weary head back and forth. Another car ride and a flight already behind him, Jaehyun’s excitement kept itself within reasonable limits. He had never been a traveler, long commutes making him groggy and uneasy, constantly feeling like he might’ve forgotten to bring along something important or restless at the notion that he wasn’t quite certain where he was to crash for the night if he didn’t make it home. The list of sacrifices he was making for the sake of a mere  _ look _ was steadily growing.

Upon the query where they were headed, they told him that he couldn’t know unless he fully agreed to be part of the project. Upon query what the project  _ was _ , they told him he’d see when they arrived. He was going into this completely blind and not a moment went by that the doubts didn’t gnaw at his insides, demanding at least the  _ option _ to turn back. But none of that seemed valid after he had been on a literal private plane to get to their destination. He’d feel foolish asking now.

“Look.”

The woman who sat in the passenger seat in front of him pointed out of the window as  _ something _ came into view, thus far only having passed by seemingly endless dull grassy flatland. Jaehyun bit the inside of his cheek as he leaned towards the window, careful so his head wouldn’t hit the pane with the car still shaking atop the street which was evidently unfit to be trafficked. His eyes widened, heart rate picking up by the slightest. 

Approaching was a cube, a somewhat dirty, white cube in the midst of barren land, save for a few trees spread here and there in the distance. Its edges were slightly rounded, uneven plates of what might be concrete making up the massive, almost cowing walls. The closer they got, the more baffled Jaehyun was by the sheer extent of the structure and he only belatedly became aware of his gaping.

“This it?” He asked, feeling somewhat buffoonish in his delivery. The sentiment merely intensified when the lady deprived him of so much as a reply, the silence that hung upon the car at least allowing him to take in and analyze whatever he was looking at. The car finally came to a halt a few meters away from the outer walls in a sparsely mounted parking lot, and Jaehyun was quick to attempt opening the car door merely to discover the child safety lock being in place. He shot the driver a disbelieving look through the rearview mirror, the man’s eyes concealed by a pair of black shades. So this was the level of trust he was being dealt.

The lady exited the car first and she took her sweet time straightening out her suit jacket before opening Jaehyun’s door at long last, Jaehyun jumping out at a velocity that almost made him bump his head against the frame. His eyes shot up. 

The cube was indeed massive, its presence all the more daunting from up close. It looked modern but not, incredibly minimalistic in its design, yet visibly marked by many years of institution, dirt having gathered at the cracks that ran across the surface in even, vertical lines up to the very top. To both Jaehyun’s left and right side its walls seemed to go on forever, his mind struggling to process the magnitude of what was in front of him and he wondered how much could possibly fit into this thing.

“Most of the facility is located underground,” The woman said suddenly, tearing Jaehyun out of his wonderment and he didn’t miss the slight hint of smugness in her tone.  _ So hours of commute later we suddenly decide to have a personality, huh.  _ Jaehyun tried to conceal his annoyance.

It was chilly, seemingly nothing besides the cube within radius to possibly shield him from the strong breeze that seized the area. His eyes scanned the surroundings, amazed by their utter nothingness and he haunched slightly. In the distance he perceived a sound akin to a train horn.

“A train?”

He turned towards the lady, who he now noticed was looking like she was waiting for something, or someone, posture erect and overall bearing obscurely formal, more so than before. She hummed, sounding annoyed. Evidently she didn’t sign up for the job of escorting him. 

“The island doesn’t have any inhabitants, but the rails already existed when we came here so we’re using them to transport cargo from the mainland.”

“So this is an island?”

She snapped her head towards him in indignation, realizing her mistake. Jaehyun couldn’t help the subtle grin playing on his features, finding delightment in his little victory. Immediately torn out of it however, he jerked at the boisterous groan of the gate in front of them moving into gear, a large, rectangle-shaped cut out from the repetitive surface structure of the cube opening downwards to reveal two individuals. One was dressed in a white lab coat, whilst the other, at the forefront, was dressed in similar fashion just that his coat merely reached his waist. Jaehyun squinted at their faces, finding neither face was in the slightest familiar.

“Miss Ono!” The one with the shorter lab coat exclaimed, now walking towards them with a light bounce in his walk. He was short, aged, whereas the one behind him appeared about Jaehyun’s age and also visibly less enthusiastic about their arrival than the other. A pair of glasses sat atop his nose bridge, which he pushed up with an almost comically serious look on his face.

“Mister Yoon, we apologize for the delay,” Jaehyun whipped his head towards her, incredulous.  _ We _ . “Traffic on the mainland was terrible, as per usual.” 

She laughed artificially, the man joining in and nodding along. “You’re here now, that’s what matters. Right?”

He looked at Jaehyun. Was he expecting a reply?

“Uh, yeah,” Jaehyun said dumbly and this elicited another laugh out of the older man. 

“I’m Mister Yoon, but most just call me Yoon,” He extended his hand for Jaehyun to shake. “I'm the supervisor of this facility. You must be Jung–”

“Jung Jaehyun, yes.” 

“What an absolute  _ pleasure  _ to make your acquaintance! I‘ve heard so much about you. You’re the one who invented the– the NSI! Sensory conscious, or what was it...New Sensory Conscious! Holds and imitates an entire individual’s personhood! Marvelous achievement from what I’ve heard, I must say, I myself initially believed it to be a mere myth.”

Jaehyun hummed awkwardly, unsure what to say.

“What an incredible honor having you on our team!”

“I haven’t–”

“Mister Jung hasn’t signed the forms yet. He’s still in contemplation,” The woman so helpfully supplied, and a brief wave of confusion washed over the older man’s face. The man behind him scoffed something under his breath. 

“I see. So this tour is what’s going to help you make your decision I reckon?” He asked carefully whilst side-eyeing Miss Ono. 

“Uh, yes, I suppose.” 

“Well then, let’s not keep you waiting any longer!”

As if a switch had been flipped once more, he returned to his remarkably overjoyed manner and gestured for Jaehyun to follow him with a wave of his arm. As they approached the entrance, Jaehyun took note of the three security guards unevenly positioned at the sides, looking grim and intimidating in their mere bearing that Jaehyun avoided letting his vision sway in their general direction. 

“You must know, you can’t take along any objects from outside that give off a signal or take pictures. Miss Ono informed you, yes?” 

Jaehyun nodded, supplying a short “Yes,” when he realized the man wasn’t looking at him to notice.

“Cameras are positioned in almost every corner of the facility, so be aware of that as well. Upon entering you’ll always be expected to display any sharp items you’re carrying on you, weapons or otherwise. Got it?” 

“Yes,” Jaehyn repeated, increasingly starting to feel like he was merely parroting himself at this point. 

They reached the gate and once they passed the threshold, a coolness shrouded his entire bearing, a clinical feel that appeared to be a mix of the air conditioning and the general hospital-esque  _ whiteness _ that made up the entrance area. They were approaching a broad glass wall with a door sized frame in its midst, a lengthy metal table positioned next to it with a few boxes and another security guard, a keypad with what looked like some sort of card scanner attached to the door frame with a wire system. Beyond the glass wall was a seemingly endless, white hallway, the fluorescent lights that there certainly wasn’t a shortage of reflecting against the walls and hurting Jaehyun’s eyes in their sheer intensity. The place’s electricity bills must be over the fucking roof, he thought, and almost voiced that comment out loud before remembering whose company he was in. It’s been a while since he’s been surrounded by so many strange faces. 

“Put any belongings in the box and they’ll run it through the scanner, or you can leave them here till you’re back. Your choice.”

“How long will it be?” Jaehyun asked, already fishing his phone out of his pocket which had been on constant flight mode since they left his place, per request of Miss Ono.

“Shouldn’t be long.”

Dissatisfied with the reply Jaehyun’s mouth opened, but he immediately closed it again, seeing as it was futile to ask questions they didn’t  _ want _ to provide answers to. He put the entire contents of his pockets in one of the plastic boxes on the metal table, telling the security guard that he could keep them until he was back. The man, broad in build, confirmed with a nod and tapped a few things on a monitor attached to the wall before a small cabinet opened all by itself, a safe of sorts by the looks of it and Jaehyun felt the unease in his stomach growing at the prospect of them keeping his keys and phone at a place unavailable to him without some kind of assistance. This experience was truly a challenge on all fronts in Jaehyun’s book and yet he remained mum, quietly watching as the man dressed in entirely black shoved the little box into one of the lockers. At least no one would steal from him, right?

“This way please?”

Jaehyun’s eyes turned towards the group which was waiting for him in front of the glass door entrance, and before he could react he once more perceived the grinding sound of the massive metal gate closing up, from floor to top of the opening they had come through. He swallowed thickly. The feeling he was dealing with couldn’t exactly be described as claustrophobia, as the hallway he was now trapped in could be considered the prime definition of grand-scale. However, stripped of everything save for the clothes on his back and confined in a setting this cold and unfamiliar made his insides churn, the comfort of his own four walls seeming all too distant now.  _ This better be really fucking good _ , he mused. 

He finally walked up to where the older man was waiting for him with the two others, nodding briefly upon coming to a halt. The older man shot him a knowing smile before scanning his card for the glass door to slide open with a happy beep. They passed through one after the other, however, when it was Miss Ono’s turn Yoon raised his hand in gesture for her to stop. She frowned.

“We’d appreciate it if you could wait for Mister Jung here, Miss Ono.”

Again with the  _ we _ . Jaehyun figured it must be a common thing around here to refer to one’s actions as a collective decision. Rather odd. She folded her arms in front of her chest and in some corner of Jaehyun’s desensitized inwit he sympathized, even if just barely. They continued on without her, Jaehyun finding it in him to cast a brief glance backwards to see that she had taken seat across the security guard. At least she wasn’t to suffer in utter solitude. Or die of boredom. But then again, so did Jaehyun throughout their whole commute there, and that’s about where his crisis of conscience ended.

Along the hallway that they were headed down, they passed a row of sparsely staffed offices where people didn’t seem to exceed the sound level of hushed murmurs for some reason. It added this creepy vibe to the whole premises, as if everyone held some sort of secret that Jaehyun wasn’t supposed to be in on, and this wasn’t exactly alleviated by the fact that everyone they passed appeared to stare at him. Something about his bearing must’ve been screaming outsider, or perhaps it was plain and simply the fact that he was still wearing his olive green flannel while everyone else sported white lab coats, save for the one or other desk jockey with a dress shirt. Nonetheless, he was the only speck of color in a sea of pristine white, a sore to any eye who appreciated the clean, clinical aspect of the place. He could tell that much.

They finally came to a stop in front of an elevator in the midst of the hallway, perhaps halfway through. Jaehyun thought they might’ve reached the midst of the cube. 

“Sorry, you must be thinking this is awfully quiet for a tour, but downstairs is where the exciting stuff happens,” Yoon said, almost as if he was afraid Jaehyun would make up his mind based on the copy pasted bureaus they had passed so far. Jaehyun contemplated whether he should say something to reassure the man, but he decided against it ultimately, seeing as  _ they _ were trying to get  _ him _ to join. He was still waiting to see what all the fuss was about.

“Is Johnny Seo currently here?” 

Yoon’s bushy eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement. “Johnny Seo?” 

_ Ah _ , Jaehyun thought. So he didn’t  _ really _ pull strings around here. Which would also lead Jaehyun to believe that Johnny didn’t get the same special treatment as him, which seemed awfully obscure considering Johnny’s list of contributions and achievements was equally, if not significantly longer than Jaehyun’s. He decided not to question it any further, for now.

The chrome elevator doors slid open, and inside the walls were, once again, made up of glass. Just that all one could see through was a dim elevator shaft, about as modern and appealing as any other. They stepped inside and Yoon pressed one of the umpteen buttons on display, Jaehyun slightly leaning forward to peek past the other individual’s frame to see where they were going. Minus seven. Should be deep enough.

Picking up on Jaehyun’s curiosity, Yoon spoke up with a put on smile. “The rest is just paperwork and half-empty labs, the more interesting stuff happens beneath the fourth story.”

Just as Jaehyun opened his mouth to ask what they might have half-empty labs for, the murkiness of the elevator shaft got abruptly replaced by consummately surrounding brightness, a sudden flash and the jarring contrast between tunnel and open space shooting a jolt of surprise through Jaehyun’s limbs. Surrounding the glass elevator walls and a considerable distance away were stories upon stories edging on an endless hollow space leading downwards to a faraway bottom floor. Countless bright lights equipped the rows that separated the different levels, illuminating the central area in which the elevator sped down and for a moment Jaehyun feared for his vision as he squinted against the amount of lit-up white he was looking upon at every angle. 

Shockingly so, they swiftly came to a halt, the elevator doors opening up with a chime. Yoon took the lead once more as they strode along the tinted glass railing that was situated on the edge of every open floor, and by the looks of it they were headed into one of the broader hallways on the direct opposite side of the floor. Now Jaehyun’s interest was starting to pick up, as they passed by large windows looking into rather sized labs assembled with equipment so modern and outlandish that the young college student in Jaehyun would’ve certainly lost his absolute shit over. 

“We’re on the main research floor, this is where we run all of the tests with new augmentations and gadgets.”

“Excuse me– augmentations?” 

“Yes,” Yoon turned around, the wrinkles that dug into his aged cheeks upon smiling evidently laced with pride. “It’s the birthplace of NCT.”

“NCT...” Jaehyun let the name roll off his tongue. 

“We’ve prepared a little demonstration in light of your visit, we hope it’ll give you a clear image of what we’re doing here,” They halted in front of a tinted glass slide door, and once more the man tapped his card against a scanner to grant their small group access. “Doyoung will be answering any questions you may have in follow-up.” 

He briefly pointed behind Jaehyun to the other man who had met him at the entrance, the latter’s expression blank and serious as opposed to Yoon’s. He didn’t so much as respond or smile at the mention. 

They entered a laboratory with high ceilings and a vast array of blinking monitors situated at the long white tables that stretched across the grand room. Several people in white coats were busying about with buzz, seemingly in preparation for something. Jaehyun’s curiosity was painfully obvious now, even when he was so consistently adamant on sporting a composed front. Everything was too new, too exciting all of a sudden. Looking bored or diffident all the time was proving to be more and more of a challenge. 

At the end of the room was a narrow metal stairway leading to a separate, more elevated room. Heading up, Jaehyun perceived the entire left wall to be made up out of some sort of thick glass and Yoon made a point about how it was the same kind they used for hot cells in atomic power plants. Jaehyun remained mum at that. Inside the room, which from the inside appeared to be more of a watch chamber, Jaehyun could finally see the other side of the glass which looked like a massive, white hollow space. From their position he could look a fair bit downwards as they weren’t leveled with the flooring of the ample room they were peering into. Jaehyun glanced around in puzzlement, only to discern that Doyoung hadn’t followed them into the chamber but remained at the bottom of the stairs, peering through a smaller window of his own whilst situated in front of a vast console of buttons and monitors. His mien was even more grave than before, if that was even possible.

“Let him in, Doyoung.” Yoon said, and the man confirmed with a curt nod of his head before pushing what looked like a significant switch.

Jaehyun’s body jolted slightly in surprise when the two massive metal plates at the bottom of the left wall of the test room parted with a loud mechanical noise, and he subconsciously took a step forward to get a better angle. Coming into view was – a person. Jaehyun’s brows furrowed and he squinted at the small individual entering the premises with a resolute stride, body clad with a suit of whites and patches of light greys that made him blend in with the backdrop almost seamlessly. It was a boy – or a man, really, but youthful, perhaps Jaehyun’s age. His hair was black and kind of shaggy, as if he had woken up not too long ago. Upon his moving closer towards the middle of the room, Jaehyun could perceive a few lone strands of silver tangled amongst the rest of whose hair, and his face, his face was something else entirely and if Jaehyun knew anything then it was that he desperately wanted to get a better look.

He was beautiful.

“This is N02,” Yoon explained. “But people in the facility like to call him by his birth name. Taeyong.”

“Taeyong,” He tested the name on his tongue. Why would one call him by a number when he had a name?

“He’s the second prototype in our project, out of three.”

Prototype?

“What is he?” Jaehyun asked, fully expecting Yoon to tell him that he was looking at a mere robot, a robot that had effectively mastered the art of exhibiting exceptionally human-like behavior yet retained the ethereal appearance of something beyond. Something flawless, perhaps even angelic, to purposely mask what was no more than a machine responding on demand and as to delude the eye from perceiving what was most important – that it could likely kill you in an instant. 

“He’s human,” Yoon then said, turning to Jaehyun with another one of his knowing smiles. “Just like you and I. He and N03 make up the core of our work here.” 

Jaehyun stared. 

Seeing Taeyong moving to the center of the room, two men dressed in matching grey uniforms in tow to strap the young man into some sort of metal framing connected to the tiled flooring, Jaehyun wasn’t quite certain what to make of the information he had just received. He tracked the minutest of the young man’s movements with narrowed vision, skeptical, disbelieving, but so incredibly intrigued like he hadn’t been in what felt like forever.

The two men who appeared to only serve as to assist Taeyong were now walking back towards the opening they came from, the metal plates colliding once more to confine the  _ human _ within the massive four walls that made him look all the smaller, all the more  _ fragile _ . Jaehyun furrowed his brows in confusion, half turning his head towards Yoon, half keeping his gaze fixed on the slender body.

“What’s it–  _ he _ going to do?”

“Wait,” Yoon said, eyes equally intent on the glass.

Jaehyun was starting to grow fidgety, fingers unwittingly fumbling with the sleeves of his flannel. Suddenly, the metal frame started moving, a structure akin to a mechanical arm attached from behind, extending upwards and Taeyong with it. His arms were caught within the frame but he still appeared to be capable of moving them, as he did his legs. Merely his torso and hips were buckled taught with a metallic clasp each, and only now did Jaehyun take note of the tube-like wires flowing out of– out of his  _ shoulders _ . Jaehyun couldn’t for the life of him wrap his head around what his eyes were looking at. 

The colossal mechanical arm elevated the construct complete with Taeyong upwards until he was leveled with their window, Jaehyun finally managing to get a proper glimpse at the man’s face despite a considerable distance remaining between their positions. His skin was impeccable, free of any blemishes however pale, as if he’d rarely seen the sun, long eyelashes fanning over the highs of his cheeks as he looked down in concentration and lips pulled into a slight, likely natural resting pout. Despite the angled bone structure and the strong, dark brows, his face held something angelic and innocent, as if it had yet to be met with the atrocities of this world so they’d mark it up, give it that rough edge that Jaehyun was so habitually used to seeing on worn down, aged miens that even more so didn’t seem to know a day of sunshine or weightlessness. Pristine, untainted. 

_ Beautiful _ .

Jaehyun’s breath stilled when the latter started staring right back at him. And much to his surprise, Taeyong smiled, smiled perhaps the first unadulterated friendly smile Jaehyun had seen all day and he didn’t for the life of him know how to rejoin. 

So he just stared.

“You’re good to go, Yong,” Doyoung spoke through a small mic attached to the console and Taeyong’s gaze faltered at that, peeking up into a corner of the room where he must’ve heard the voice come from. 

He strongly inhaled, eyes falling shut as his hands rose before his chest. His palms faced each other but remained a small distance apart, and he seemed to be concentrating, hard, the tension in his limbs visibly rising, a crease forming between his brows as he kept inhaling and exhaling with purpose, chest continuously rising and falling to accompany the action.

For a solid minute Jaehyun could, once more, not really ascertain what he was supposed to be looking at. Taeyong didn’t look particularly nervous, in fact, he seemed perfectly focused and intent on what he was doing, just that Jaehyun couldn’t tell what it was.

Until he saw the light.

An actual, physical light. Forming between the palms of Taeyong’s hands, blue flickering light like sparks of electricity and growing in intensity by the millisecond. Jaehyun’s eyes widened, astonishment plastered all over his face beyond any chance of concealment, gaze fixated on this, this  _ thing _ that he had no way of wrapping his head around no matter how hard he raked the vast amplitudes of knowledge stuffed inside his brain for answers,  _ anything _ to assist him in comprehending. 

Only then did he start taking note of the sides of Taeyong’s suit lighting up as well, electric impulses glowing in shades of azure shooting down the man’s arm like nerves and bunching amidst the space between Taeyong’s hands and the whole room went dark, waves and waves of blue travelling along the torso, the hips, the legs, the fingertips, Jaehyun was at a loss of a distinct spot to look. Taeyong’s face lit up with every impulse, flashes of blue dancing over whose perfectly sculpted features, all the more visible with his hair starting to fan out in every direction with some sort of current seemingly coming off the matter levitating in his hold like fireflies. 

_ Impossible _ , Jaehyun’s mind screamed. Consummately stunned, his bearing. Somewhere in the distance he could perceive the faint sound of a muffled voice, perhaps talking to him, perhaps merely a figment of his imagination seeing as it may just be coming up with hallucinations of a whole new kind that had remained undiscovered throughout his whole career until this very moment. This, this  _ power _ , this energy which was the only way he could describe it, was guided through a real person’s limbs as if they were  _ made  _ to do so, jolts of electricity and sparks flying off the whirlwind of color and while Jaehyun could barely process the visuals he was being exposed to, he didn’t realize that Taeyong was now open-eyed and concentrated on aiming. 

On aiming at them.

Jaehyun’s entire body jolted backwards when a burst of matter charged towards the glass, the impact causing the walls to tremble even if just the slightest and upon finding himself completely shielded Jaehyun marveled at the unspeakable aspect of millions upon millions of small specs of voltage disseminating across the surface in splotches of blue and  _ light,  _ before dissipating into thin air, leaving behind loose sparks that continued slowly burning out one by one as well. Once the spectacle wore off in its entirety and the room was once more illuminated by bright, blinding whiteness, there was just a man, calm as ever and untouched all the same. Head hanging low and a steady rise and fall of his chest. The crane was starting to move downwards again.

Jaehyun’s eyes wouldn’t tear away.

“...and although results were incomparable to anything we had before it didn’t quite add up with our expectations so that’s when N03 came into the mix but Doy–”

“What?”

Taeyong’s body had reached the ground again and it seemed so had Jaehyun’s footing in reality. 

“I said N02 isn’t the best we have to offer, as still but– actually. Doyoung!”

Jaehyun looked at Yoon in confusion, then to the stairs at the noisy clutter of them being climbed, Doyoung having abandoned his position to rejoin them.

“Would you be so kind and offer Mister Jung some insight on our work here?”

“Has  _ Mister Jung _ decided to join yet?” Doyoung pushed up the glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose, tone firm and uptight despite the voice in itself possessing a distinct airiness about it. It was then that it started to dawn on Jaehyun what the man’s dismissive bearing may be all about, but he wasn’t about to give the matter much regard considering what he had just witnessed.

Jaehyun caught Yoon’s eyes narrowing at the response and he decided to chip in before Yoon could retort.

“Yeah,” He said, gaze fixed on Taeyong who was once more dependent on the assistance of two staff members to unbuckle. 

“I’ve decided. I want in.”

There was surprise in the old man’s tone when he responded, but it was quickly overtaken by an elation that was hard to miss. “That’s– that’s simply remarkable!”

Doyoung snorted.

“Then why don’t I hand you over to Doyoung from here on and he’s going to show you the rest?”

Jaehyun turned to him. “What about you?”

Yoon’s eyes started shifting noticeably. Jaehyun wondered what his deal might be, but as per usual with anything related to the project he could only leave it at guesses. For now. 

“I have other matters to attend to,  _ business _ matters. I’m not really versed with the–” He shot a glance at Doyoung. “Specifications and technicalities around here. That’s our good old Kim’s forté.”

He patted Doyoung’s back enthusiastically, Doyoung visibly stiffening at the gesture. Why they had sent Yoon to greet him in the first place was a mystery in itself.

“Not the most talkative fella but you two will get along!”

Doyoung repeated the motion of pushing his glasses up, gaze lingering on his feet and lips pressed into a tight line.  _ Yeah _ , Jaehyun thought. Definitely looked like the guy was eager to be  _ friends _ with him. Jaehyun decided not to comment.

“I’ll walk you two outside!”

“What about–” Jaehyun’s eyes swayed to Taeyong who had ultimately moved from his position and was walking towards the exit – with the help of one of the uniformed men, arm slouched around whose shoulders. Jaehyun subconsciously zoned out at that, a frown digging a crease into the midst of his brows. Was he...limping?

“What’s with him?”

He turned back to the others and pointed to the glass at Taeyong. Yoon leaned over to catch a glimpse, seemingly at a loss for words. 

“It’s a genetic error. His bones are infused with titanium, but the joints aren’t made to withstand the extra strain,” Doyoung supplied, his eyes likewise trailing the limping body. “Most days he’s fine, but it gets worse with weather changes. Or when exposed to a lot of heat.” 

He turned to look at Jaehyun, the glint in his eyes conveying something akin to reproach. Jaehyun’s gaze sharpened. Doyoung averted. 

“He’ll be fine. He always is.”

“Well then! Shall we get moving?”

Without any further comment, they collectively headed down the stairs and through the laboratory that had quieted down considerably. Jaehyun had a strong hunch circuiting in the pit of his stomach that he‘d be upbraiding himself for acting on such whim in no time, latest when he‘d stare at the ceiling of whatever bed he‘d find himself in tonight to digest every yet so minor detail of this day. He‘d scold himself, harshly, as he rarely ever did considering that the only code for the past years had been playing it safe. No decisions out of sheer impulsive passion, no extremes. None of everything that this experience entailed. And yet he was here, following, once more. Obeying. Not questioning, at least not yet. And the imagery of Taeyong‘s face in flares of blue and white and so real and vivid that the want for enlightenment surged through Jaehyun‘s chest once more. 

He wondered what‘d happen to him now. Likely sitting in a room as white as any other, someone tending to the tenderness of his bearing. 

It was an odd thought to consider, as he yet failed to categorize Taeyong‘s nature, in some dominant part of Jaehyun‘s mind having taken down  _ robot _ as the only plausible explanation. Despite what his ears had so evidently picked up from Yoon‘s speech. It was impossibly difficult to connect those words,  _ human  _ from his ears and  _ robot  _ from both eyes and predisposition, let alone to entirely eliminate the robot aspect of it all. He was looking too – too insufficient in flaws, Jaehyun concluded summarily. 

Messed up joints or not.

They parted from Yoon outside where he avidly shook Jaehyun‘s hand once more, congratulating Jaehyun on becoming part of  _ greatness _ . Jaehyun caught the last of Yoon when he saw the man fitfully speed-walk down the hallway towards the center of the facility, his back disappearing behind the corner they came from earlier. He wondered if that would be the last he’d ever see of the man. Doyoung and Jaehyun followed suit at their own pace, neither saying a word until Jaehyun realized they were passing the elevators and moving towards the opposite hallway. 

“Where are we going?” 

“I’m showing you another one of the prototypes. Per Yoon’s request,” He added and although there wasn't any particular emphasis on the words, Jaehyun knew the other wanted him to know that he wasn’t keen on showing him around. At that point it was a shared sentiment, when yet Jaehyun once more couldn’t help the subtle rush of curiosity that prompted him to continue following the other man without further comment.

The rest of the walk was spent in silence and they halted in front of a window that looked into a considerably smaller room than the lab they had previously been in. It overlooked an area that was much akin to a workshop besides just a mere lab. Jaehyun wasn’t sure what he was supposed to be looking at, as this one was devoid of any people unlike the other one. No one rushing about or tinkering or looking upon rows and rows of monitors.

“This is the birthplace of N01,” Doyound finally spoke up. “The first in the series. Unlike Taeyong and Jungwoo he isn’t human.”

“An AI?”

“A robot. He was rejected by the authorities because they want someone with a conscience. Apparently.”

This made Jaehyun wonder how long Doyoung had been part of this project, and how much he truly knew about who they were doing this for. The  _ authorities  _ had an awfully distant and obscure ring to it, and something about the hint of bitterness in Doyoung’s voice led Jaehyun to believe the other wasn’t always in on their agenda. If he was at all.

He took a mental note to ask Doyoung what he was in for one day, saving it for a time when he wasn’t so much in a mood to spite the other for the stick up whose ass.

“Who...do you–  _ we  _ directly respond to?” Jaehyun asked instead.

Doyoung licked his dry lips. “There’s– a boss, but he rarely ever comes around himself. He usually sends one of his own to check on progress.”

“Have you ever seen him?” Jaehyun said in a bordering taunting manner and it immediately made the other whip his head towards Jaehyun, offense clearly written over his face.

“Of course I have!”

Jaehyun suppressed a grin at that, but decided not to linger, gaze searching the room in front of them once more. 

“So where is he?”

He could hear Doyoung push out an indignant huff next to him before he lifted a lanky digit to point somewhere on the glass, somewhere  _ up _ , and it was then that Jaehyun lifted his gaze to look upon a human-like body floating in the air, dangling off sturdy wires from the laboratory ceiling, looking eerily lifeless. Particularly in contrast to Taeyong, whose mere surrounding aura was sprouting with life. The face, however, despite hanging about laxly was oddly beautiful as well, and it started dawning on Jaehyun that this was some sick, twisted joke, to make every one of those, those  _ things  _ look as angelic as virtually can be when in reality they were probably far from it. He knew it was smart. But also so,  _ so  _ wrong. 

“Will I be working with this one?” Jaehyun asked after careful inspection, coming to the conclusion that it would make the most sense considering his background work with AI. They wanted a conscience, he was to supply.

“Progress was discontinued about two weeks ago.”

Jaehyun turned towards the other with a look of confusion.

“Why?”

“There are–  _ other plans _ ,” He said, and Jaehyun knew by the tone of it that Doyoung knew as much as he did in that regard. Although the fact must be much more of a sting for the latter than it was for him. 

“What’s all this for?”

Doyoung replied without looking. “What do you mean.”

“Why are you making these– these superhumans? What for?”

“Protocol is to make empathetic,  _ real _ individuals who can protect our countries from future external threats. Real because the public tends to be turned off by the prospect of a  _ thing _ looking out for them. Or so I’ve heard.”

Jaehyun hummed in acknowledgement. External threats.

“It’s South Korea and–”

“Japan.” Doyoung supplied. “China was in for N01, hence the name, Sicheng. But they clicked out at the whole  _ empathy _ thing.”

Doyoung tsked at that, Jaehyun increasingly finding amusement in the other man’s transparency of emotion. 

They continued on with their tour and upon querying whether they’d see the third in the series, Doyoung replied that N03, otherwise known as  _ Jungwoo _ , was resting. Beyond that he showed him the main working areas, development center and break room, where he reluctantly introduced him to a few team members. No big deal. However, Jaehyun was losing track of time and the moment Minhyung popped into his head at someone else referencing his past work once more, he insisted Doyoung take him back to the entrance. It was fair into night time when he stepped outside, Miss Ono even less amicable than before when she noted them approaching the entrance area – if that was even possible, and she greeted him with a contrived smile and dead eyes. Jaehyun didn’t expect much more.

The flight back was considerably less eventful than the one there, his phone display reading 4:03 a.m. when they finally pulled into the parking space in front of his apartment complex. 

A week. 

They said he’d have a week to cut himself off of all of his surroundings, come up with an excuse to all the people in his life, pack his things, disappear completely. Just that he hadn’t existed for the longest time in the first place. 

Going up to his apartment, Jaehyun was deep in thought. One may even say doubtful. Having made a decision so rapidly was much against his own advice, so very careless considering his stance had been deeply rooted for the past years. He didn’t serve anyone, he didn’t subserve. He didn’t obey. Didn’t provide for some man made guise of a purpose. He couldn’t deny the wrongness that underlined the course his decision had taken, being swerved by impulsive strokes of conviction wasn’t necessarily unlike him and yet his wit underwent enough years of experience to be immune to situations such as these. But there he was. He stood in front of the door for his apartment, zoned out on the keypad, not really bothering to remember his password for what felt like languid seconds passing into minutes at this early hour. He leaned his forehead against the door.

It was foreign. So incredibly foreign and as a man who reveled in the simple comforts of life he was conflicted. But there was just something– something so enticing about the unknown, a mischievous glint of possibility shrouded by great mystery and if that wasn’t what science was all about, was he to call himself a scientist for entirely rejecting it? An opportunity such as this one was – as Johnny so fittingly worded it – something he used to consistently dream of, spend wakeful nights in workshops swimming in the many ideas that cramped his mind.  _ Possibility _ . The possibility to evoke the impossible, make reality what was inexplicable to the imagination of most whose capacity didn’t allow them to go above and beyond like Jaehyun’s. Perhaps such purpose was man made, but the shoe fit. A scary realization to him who had tried to convince himself it wouldn’t, morals too uproarious, no matter what. A shiver of nervousness wafted over his skin.

He unlocked his door, met with a bleak nothingness. The sky was starting to lighten, a cloudy day evidently ahead. Jaehyun stood in the entrance way for a moment, merely looking over what suddenly felt all the more foreign despite it being his very own space. Perhaps the comforts he craved weren’t tied to a particular place. Maybe all he needed would be right there with him anyway. The little strings he found had attached themselves onto aspects of his life were few to begin with and maybe, just maybe he would be fine. 

Sluggishly, he walked to his bedroom where the blinds were always shut, and closed the door behind him. Turns out his demons had never left him anyway. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey hey heyy. i know this chapter is kind of loaded and there was originally even MORE introduction but i figured i wanna spread the worldbuidling bits around instead of smashing it all into one chapter. updates will be slow-ish not gonna lie im a really slow writer BUT i am committed and ive already written ahead a fair amount.
> 
> this fic will be long. like. long. i hope ill be able to finish it i really really do. ive got it all planned and sketched out and i hope there will be some who will tag along on the way. yeeeee
> 
> thats it.
> 
> ask me stuff on tumblr @1aeil!!


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